BPL A ‘Circus’: Bangladesh’s Head Coach Hathurusingha

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) has received its fair share of criticism over the years, but the head coach of the Bangladesh national team has gone further, terming it a “circus.” In a recent interview with ESPNCricinfo, Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha expressed his disappointment with the BPL. “There has to be some regulation,” he said. “A player is playing one tournament and then playing another tournament. It's like a circus.”

Hathurusingha clearly outlined his frustration with Bangladesh “not having a proper T20 tournament.” He goes so far as to say, “This sounds very odd, but when I'm watching the BPL, I sometimes turn off the TV. Some players are not even of the class. I have a big issue with the current system.”

The coach emphasized the need for a T20 event where Bangladeshi bowlers can practice bowling in the death overs, and where Bangladeshi batters can gain experience batting at the top of the order.

“A franchise does what it wants,” Hathurusingha added. “Some of my best players are not playing (the BPL). So then how do you expect the Bangladesh team to be up with the other teams? I am fighting a steep battle.”

The BPL 2024 has entered the playoffs, with the eliminator and the first qualifier taking place in Dhaka on February 27. Right after BPL, Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka in a full series — three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Tests.

Hathurusingha believes the series against Sri Lanka will see the real rivalry in the field, but he also mentioned that Bangladesh will be underdog against Sri Lanka in T20Is.

“We are developing as a T20 team. We are underdogs, to be honest. It is a good challenge for us. I am still confident we will give them a good fight. We will understand where we are at, ahead of the World Cup, after this series,” Hathurusingha added in the interview.

UNB